Slide rail

Abstract

A slide rail includes an inner slide, an intermediate slide, a rack and a positioning element. The intermediate slide is used for receiving the inner slide; a block is positioned at an end of the intermediate slide. The rack has a plurality of ball bearings. An end of the rack is resisted against the block. The positioning element includes a fixing portion mounted to the intermediate slide, and a resilient hook portion having an ear part, the ear part capable of resisting against the other end of the rack to locate the rack.

1. A slide rail comprising:
 an inner slide; 
 an intermediate slide for receiving the inner slide, a block being positioned at an end of the intermediate slide; 
 a rack having a plurality of ball bearings and disposed between the inner slide and the intermediate slide, the rack enabling smooth movement between the inner slide and the intermediate slide, the rack further having a first end and a second end, the first end of the rack being resisted against the block; and 
 a positioning element comprising a fixing portion mounted to the intermediate slide, and a resilient hook portion having an ear part, the ear part comprising an upright surface capable of resisting against the second end of the rack to locate the rack; 
 wherein a plate is connected to one side of the positioning element adjacent and parallel to the hook portion, the plate being able to be pressed by the inner slide, therefore deforming the positioning element along a first direction perpendicular to the intermediate slide to release the rack from being resisted by the hook portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The slide rail as described in  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate slide comprises an intermediate portion and two sidewalls extending from opposite sides of the intermediate portion respectively, the inner slide and the rack being received in a space bounded by the intermediate portion and the sidewalls, a slot is defined in the intermediate portion, for allowing the positioning element to extend therethrough. 
     
     
       3. The slide rail as described in  claim 2 , wherein the positioning element further comprises a bridge portion at a middle position thereof to be extended through the slot of the intermediate slide, the fixing portion is connected to an end of the bridge portion to be fixed to a surface of the intermediate portion, and the hook portion is connected to the other end of the bridge portion to be positioned over another surface of the intermediate portion. 
     
     
       4. The slide rail as described in  claim 3 , wherein the bridge portion is made of elastic material. 
     
     
       5. The slide rail as described in  claim 4 , wherein the ear part comprises a sloped surface, the sloped surface being pressed by the rack as the rack moves towards the block. 
     
     
       6. The slide rail as described in  claim 5 , wherein the sloped surface is released from the rack when the second end of the rack contacts the block. 
     
     
       7. The slide rail as described in  claim 1 , wherein a hole is defined in the rack, for allowing the plate to extend therethrough. 
     
     
       8. The slide rail as described in  claim 2 , wherein the rack comprises a main part and two flanges extending from opposite sides of the main part, the ball bearings are rotatably mounted to each of the flanges, the ball bearings contact the sidewalls of the intermediate slide when the rack is inserted into the intermediate slide. 
     
     
       9. The slide rail as described in  claim 8 , wherein the main part of the rack comprises a flat part and at least a first guiding groove at opposite sides of the flat part and connecting to the flat part, the intermediate portion of the intermediate slide comprises at least a second guiding groove relative to the first guiding groove of the rack, for guiding the rack to be inserted into the intermediate slide along a longitudinal direction. 
     
     
       10. The slide rail as described in  claim 1 , wherein the ear part comprises a sloped surface and an upright surface at opposite ends, the rack presses the sloped surfaces of the ear part of the positioning element to deform the positioning element along a second direction inverse to the first direction and moves toward the block of the intermediate slide until the first end of the rack touches the block, and wherein the second end of the rack rides over the ear part of the positioning element, the ear part is restored with the upright surface thereof engaging with the second end of the rack, and the rack is fixed in the intermediate slide due to the two ends thereof being respectively restricted by the block of the intermediate slide and the upright surface of the ear part of the positioning element. 
     
     
       11. The slide rail as described in  claim 10 , wherein when the inner slide is inserted to a position where the corresponding end thereof contacts the plate of the positioning element, the inner slide is further moved until the plate is pressed by the inner slide, the plate together with the hook portion is resiliently pressed to deform the positioning element along the first direction perpendicular to the intermediate portion of the intermediate slide and retract through the slot of the intermediate slide, and the ear part of the positioning element is disengaged from the rack to unlock the rack. 
     
     
       12. A slide rail comprising:
 an inner slide; 
 an intermediate slide for receiving the inner slide therein, the intermediate slide comprising an intermediate portion, two sidewalls extending from opposite sides of the intermediate portion, and a block being positioned at an end of the intermediate portion of the intermediate slide; 
 a rack having a first end, a second end, and a plurality of ball bearings and being disposed between the inner slide and the intermediate slide, the rack enabling smooth movement between the inner slide and the intermediate slide, the first end of the rack being resisted against the block; and 
 a positioning element comprising a fixing portion mounted to the intermediate slide, a resilient hook portion having at least one ear part, and a plate connected to one side of the positioning element adjacent and parallel to the hook portion, the at least one ear part comprising a slope surface and an upright surface at an opposite side of the at least one ear part; 
 wherein when the rack presses the sloped surface of the at least one ear part of the positioning element to deform the positioning element along a first direction perpendicular to the intermediate portion of the intermediate slide and moves toward the block of the intermediate slide, until the first end of the rack touches the block, and a second end opposite to the first end of the rack rides over the ear part of the positioning element, the at least one ear part is restored, with the upright surface thereof engaging with the second end of the rack; and 
 wherein when the inner slide is inserted to a position where a corresponding end thereof contacts the plate of the positioning element, the inner slide is further moved until the plate is pressed by the inner slide, the plate together with the hook portion is pressed to resiliently deform the positioning element along the first direction, and the at least one ear part of the positioning element is disengaged from the rack. 
 
     
     
       13. The slide rail as described in  claim 12 , wherein the inner slide and the rack are received in a space bounded by the intermediate portion and the sidewalls, and a slot is defined in the intermediate portion for allowing the positioning element to extend therethrough. 
     
     
       14. The slide rail as described in  claim 13 , wherein the positioning element further comprises a bridge portion at a middle position thereof to be extended through the slot of the intermediate slide, the fixing portion is connected to an end of the bridge portion to be fixed to a surface of the intermediate portion, and the hook portion is connected to the other end of the bridge portion to be positioned over another surface of the intermediate portion. 
     
     
       15. The slide rail as described in  claim 14 , wherein the bridge portion is not parallel to the fixing portion. 
     
     
       16. The slide rail as described in  claim 14 , wherein a vertical distance between the fixing portion and a first end of the bridge portion is slightly greater than that between the fixing portion and a second end of the bridge portion. 
     
     
       17. The slide rail as described in  claim 14 , wherein the hook portion is slanting toward the bridge portion but is parallel to the fixing portion. 
     
     
       18. The slide rail as described in  claim 12 , wherein the plate is slightly raised from the bridge portion and has two guiding parts slantingly extending from opposite ends thereof respectively.